Surrender What You Can Control

The serenity prayer truly demonstrates the meaning of what it takes to surrender.

It is such a simple, yet powerful prayer that is often used to provoke the message that the only thing we really can control is ourselves. It has taken me years (I still struggle) to accept this. By practicing compassion, love, and stillness you slowly start to surrender more of your ego and begin to focus on the truest part of yourself.

I work with children on a daily basis and the message I am constantly instilling in them  is to cultivate inner stillness and inner peace now, so that by the time they are adults they will recognize that although life can be  challenging and sometimes unfair, you will always have that safe, still place from within. No one can take this away from you! I express that by accepting the things you can control, you begin to make more space for your own life.

Some of the things we can control are:

-How we treat ourselves

-How we treat others, the earth and animals

It’s truly as simple as that. Acceptance also plays a huge part in this as well. Knowing that I cannot control others and their actions requires a real sense of surrender.

If you love and nurture this space from within it has the potential to grow bigger and brighter, creating room for more happiness and inner peace.

Motivational Monday: Start each day off right

How we begin our day can have major effects on us  and our reactions throughout the day. Start off each day with a morning routine that suits you. Let love, inner peace, joy, clarity, and happiness be the fuel for this. It could be as simple as sitting on your yoga mat for 5 minutes to walking your pup around the block, to dancing to your favorite song.

Customize this practice to what make you FEEL the most connected and joyful. When we focus on how we want to feel the universe is happy to help!

What are some ways you start your day off right?

Motivational Mondays: Looking for the good

“I believe in angels something good in everything I see”. This is one of my favorite lines from a song by ABBA. Every time I hear those lyrics I choke up a little. It perfectly describes the process of when we have our heart opened to possibilities of being unconditional with our love for all, miracles will occur. So today I challenge you to take a look around and look for the something good in everyone and everything. Be earth angels to all that exists on this planet. Notice how that makes you feel!

Power of Choice

Every moment we are given he opportunity to choose how we want to feel, act and think. This is a powerful blessing and gift that we have been given. We think that we have to respond to things from our old habitual ways of being, but you can break free from old stories at any moment.

For example a friend, loved one or a co-worker says something that angers you, maybe your old way of reacting would be to get angry, act impulsively, say something you will later regret, or internalize it all day. The power of choice is simple. You can choose how you want to feel. Setting the intention of how you want to FEEL about the situation makes all the difference. If you know that by acting impulsively you will end up feeling like crap about yourself all day than choose a different reaction. So give yourself the time to breathe and gain clarity before you react.

Some more examples on the power of choice:

I choose to wake up early everyday because it nourishes my soul and sets the pace for the rest of my day

I choose to think pure loving thoughts everyday because it creates peace from within

I choose to smile at everyone I see because we are all connected

I choose to eat healthy foods because my body is my temple

What do you choose?

Your Practice Doesn’t Have to Be Anything Fancy

I thought this title perfectly reflected what has been going on in my practice lately. I use to think that I would have to travel to India to be enlightened, or meditate for hours, or give up all material possessions. What I am finding however is that what I offer to myself each day in my daily practice reflects how I act, what I say and who I am. After years of souls searching and pondering thoughts I have recognized that what lies within is very simplistic, unconditional and ever evolving. 

 

 

 

My practice isn’t fancy at all. I love my morning mediations, my yoga practice, my green juice, and walks in nature.  By showing up every moment I am more present and aware to my job, to those I love, to the clerk at the register, to my neighbor, to my dog. This simple practice of spending 10-20 minutes with myself everyday has truly transformed my life. It has evolved me into the person I am today and the person I am continuing to become. 

 

Once we take all the pressure off of ourselves we can see that being mindful and present within each moment is the practice. There are no gimmicks; you don’t need a guru or a teacher. All you need is the discipline to slow it down and stay rooted in life.